May 1, 2011

Acts 5:12-16; Rev 1:9-11a 17-19; Jn 20:19-31



If there is any passage that Catholics should put to memory I believe that it should be today’s Gospel, John 20:19-24. John’s Gospel has Jesus giving the sacraments of Holy Orders, Confirmation and Penance on the night of the resurrection. The disciples still do not understand the events that have taken place; they are in the upper room afraid with the doors locked. The gospel says that the doors are locked for fear of the… Continue

April 24, 2011

Easter Sunday: Solemnity of the Resurrection of The Lord

Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9



Last August 5th, we remember the thirty-tree miners who were trapped in the collapsed mine in Chile. At first we believed this to be another tragic mining accident with no hope of survival. Miraculously, after seventeen days a note was retrieved from a probe dug deep in the mine with the words written by one of the trapped

miners in red letters, "All 33 of us… Continue

April 17, 2011

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion:  Mt 21:1-11; Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14—27:66

 

Today, Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday we enter into the Holiest Week of our Church Calendar.  We begin Mass today with a short procession to the center of the Church where we read the first Gospel and bless the Palms.  We remember that Jesus entered the City of Jerusalem with great acclaim. “The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the… Continue

April 10, 2011

Fifth Sunday of Lent: Ez 37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45

 

Today at Mass we hear the story of the Raising of Lazarus.  On a surface level this is the story of Jesus raising to life a friend who had died. Jesus is notified about the illness and eventual death of a dear friend and after a short delay, decides to go to visit the family.  His…

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     In my first assignment as a priest I regularly visited an elderly man in his nineties, Jose Holguin. Jose insisted on playing a little jazz piano after I would give him communion. At his age he could not hit all of the proper keys on the piano, but you could still recognize the tune and understand that once this was a very good musician. One day, I was called to the hospital to anoint Jose before a serious operation. When I arrived he was being wheeled into the operating room. The…

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